“Lily of the Nile” - Stephanie Dray

 (Cleopatra’s Daughter book 1)

🐍 Our trip to Egypt last year inspired me to pick up this series. I previously read a book detailing the female pharaohs of ancient Egypt, but my interest was piqued by Stephanie Dray’s point that after the much-discussed Cleopatra, there is a relative silence when it comes to her daughter Selene. I found LOTN thoughtfully researched, and helpful in filling the void in the historical narrative. Indeed, this is one of my favorite types of novels: a detailed historical fiction that tells us a plausible version of events. 

🐍 I should note that Dray sprinkles magic throughout (e.g. Selene’s powers); she leaves us to make of it what we will. Whether it is real or not, the power of the mere hint of the occult over rulers and subjects alike, is undeniable. 

🐍 The trajectory of young Selene’s privileged and naive views drawing distinctions between Egyptian and Roman slavery, evolve as she herself enters Rome in chains. Her dramatic reversal of fortunes contributes to the development of a more worldly POV for the young princess.

🐍 Octavius’ paranoia after vanquishing Cleopatra and renaming himself August reminds of Henry Tudor in Philippa Gregory’s “White Princess” - he never feels loved by his people and is constantly ill at ease in his powerful position.

🐍 I was fascinated by Dray’s emphasis on the cult of Isis as a religion and as a political tool. It played a role in Cleopatra’s ascent, and Octavius would later rely on simple misogyny to subdue her. Octavius wielded the cult as an abomination: Cleopatra was a criminal for placing herself as Pharaoh and thus emasculating Marc Anthony. Obviously, it was a flimsy excuse for conquest.

🐍 I’ve already read the second novel in the series. I’d recommend it for lovers of historical fiction and for anyone curious about the enormous power vacuum created by Cleopatra’s demise.